Café Match Box 喜喜冰室 (Hong Kong, CHINA) ★★★☆☆

Like I've said many times here, I have a really soft spot for local cha chaan tengs which sometimes got me in trouble. After taking half a day off on a Friday afternoon, I found myself wandering around the streets of Causeway Bay (which I haven't done for a long long time). I was back to my usual tricks again looking for a quick afternoon tea at a cha chaan teng before finally arriving at Café Match Box (喜喜冰室).

I remembered the last time I had a meal at Café Match Box, they were still at their old location on Cleveland Street, just a stone's throw from Victoria Park. That was a long time ago.

You gotta like their throwback theme, especially this area that made me feel like I was eating inside a minibus!

Not sure if the bells on the minibus used to look like this one. I was too young to remember.

They have obviously spent some time brainstorming these fusion dishes. Toast with black sesame paste and condensed milk looked kind of interesting but I was craving for something savory.

Crispy fried chicken leg with ketchup and maggi seasoning fried rice (炸雞脾美極西炒飯) – That's a really long name. 

After going thru the food menu multiple times, I finally realized what I was craving for.....a crispy deep-fried chicken leg. This was so meaty and I like the fact that the seasoning wasn't over the top (like most cha chaan tengs). My only complaint was the crispy skin that turned out to be a little chewy. 

The fried rice made with ketchup and maggi sauce wasn't bad. I used to love eating this as a kid cuz it came with so many different ingredients including shrimp, sausage, ham, beans, corn and carrot. The only thing I found weird about the fried rice here was the cabbage underneath. It was so cold, which was a stark contrast to the fried rice that came piping hot.

Didn't get to try their pantyhose milk tea this afternoon. I am assuming that I'll get a chance for that in the near future.

Food Rating: 5/10

Price: $$$

Address: Shop C&D, 57 Paterson Street, Causeway Bay, Hong Kong

Closest Metro Station: Causeway Bay

Tel: +852 2868-0363

Website: www.cafematchbox.com.hk

Opening Hours: 7:30am - 10:00pm daily

Seventh Son Restaurant 家全七福 H Zentre (Hong Kong, CHINA) ★★☆☆☆

My coughing has been so bad that I haven’t been able to eat out for the last couple of weeks. Just like the old saying in Chinese, I have been coughing so badly to a point that even my mom couldn’t recognize me (咳到阿媽都唔認得)!!! (Bad joke!). In an attempt to see if my mom really recognizes me, I decided to arrange for a dim sum lunch this Sunday. It would be just the two of us, as little nugget still has more studies to do for next week’s exam.

Michelin starred Seventh Son Restaurant (家全七福) in Wanchai has long been on my radar screen since its opening a few years ago but its label as one of the tycoons' canteen (富豪飯堂) really scared a lot of people off including yours truly. I was certainly hoping that their new branch at H Zentre is a little more down to earth.

We were seated on this side of the dining room with some natural daylight but no view.

Crispy puff with barbecued pork (蜜汁叉燒酥) – The puff was really disappointing. 

Not flaky or crispy at all and the cold temperature had me thinking that they’ve been sitting there since early this morning.

Seventh Son shrimp dumping (七福鮮蝦餃) – Pretty decent with a thin wrapper. No bamboo shoot though.

Steamed pork dumpling with crab roes (蟹皇蒸燒賣) – The dumpling itself was more on the hard side.

Not ideal for someone with an old man’s teeth!

Steamed dumplings with assorted vegetables (花素蒸餃) – Mom loves eating vegetarian food so this one was mainly for her. 

There were a ton of veggies in there including sweet corn, black fungus, carrot, lotus root and even a bit of vermicelli.

Steamed rice rolls with barbecued pork (蜜汁叉燒腸) – Probably one of the few better dim sum this afternoon. The rice rolls were really soft and tender, working well with the barbecued pork.

Steamed rice rolls with bamboo pith and mixed vegetables (竹笙上素腸) –More or less the same fillings from the steamed dumplings with assorted vegetables. Not bad.

Steamed chicken with mushroom and fish maw (北菇棉花雞) – OK.

Traditional grinded almond milk (生磨杏仁茶) – Another disappointing dish leaving us without a sweet end.

The almond milk came with some unexpected sharp bitterness, which I thought originated from the lily bulb or lotus seed but mom thought it was the almond itself. Either way, the bitterness was way too overpowering for the sweetness of the almond milk. Not sending us home as happy customers.

I didn't expect such a poor display of quality from a tycoon's canteen. I know this was just the dim sum lunch but to be considered some of the best in the business, you have to show up whether it's a simple dim sum lunch or luxurious abalone banquet.

Food Rating: 5.5/10

Price: $$$$

Address: 7/F, H Zentre, 15 Middle Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong

Closest Metro Station: Tsim Sha Tsui East / Tsim Sha Tsui

Tel: +852 2361-3363

Opening Hours: 11:30am - 3:00pm, 6:00pm - 11:00pm daily

Shake Shack Harbour City (Hong Kong, CHINA) ★★★☆☆

My coughing simply refused to go away weeks after I have recovered from my flu. Following two straight weeks of sleepless nights, I finally decided to see a specialist today. Like most specialist appointments, I waited for more than an hour but the consultation only lasted a mere 5 minutes.

Since it was getting a little late for my lunch (with a meeting coming up in about an hour), I thought I better grab a quick one near the specialist's office. There were a ton of options here and remarkably, I ended up choosing Shake Shack at Harbour City for no particular reason. 

Okay, perhaps it's the view.

'Shroom Burger – Obviously, I wasn't fit enough to have something spicy so I guess a vegetarian burger with fried portobello mushroom, cheddar, lettuce and tomato would be exactly what the doctor orders, right?

Milk tea shake – Okay, it's unlikely the doctor would order a frosty milkshake for an ailing patient, let alone someone coughing badly for the last three weeks. But I've been a good boy lately and probably deserves something sweet for a change?

I'm getting more antibiotics to battle my coughing today (Sigh!). When would this nightmare end?

Food Rating: 6/10

Price: $$$

Address: Shop OTG53, G/F, Ocean Terminal, Harbour City, 3-27 Canton Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong

Closest Metro Station: Tsim Sha Tsui

Tel: +852 2262-2768

Opening Hours: 11:00am - 10:00pm daily

Restaurant Petrus (Hong Kong, CHINA) ★★★☆☆

I thought I would miss out on Restaurant Petrus' winter menu after spending the majority of our winter holidays in Australia and Japan but lo and behold, I got my reservation just in the nick of time before their spring menu comes along.

Of course, this comes at the expense of a few popular winter items already off the menu including their pithivier and game dishes. I certainly hope that what's left here are still good enough for my spoiled palate.

First off, some homemade bread highlighted by a really tasty ham brioche and French baguette. They were matched nicely by some handmade butter from France.

While I was all geared up for the usual cheese gougère to start off the meal, there was the curve ball that I wasn't expecting from the kitchen – some nice canapés. 

The set of amuse bouche began with a small tartlet filled with hamachi tartare. The hamachi was lightly torched for some nice smokiness and it was finished off with some explosion thanks to the salmon roes. And yes, looked like I was still going to have the cheese gougère after all. A crispy waffle with what I thought was sour cream in the middle rounded things out in style. Not a bad start at all.

Japanese aji – I joked with my server that it was going to be a Japanese-French meal for me this afternoon as all three dishes I chose came with Japanese ingredients.

My starter today comprised of small cubes of aji from Japan, placed alternatively with crispy croutons (also in small cubes) and served with pickled cucumber, ginger gel and a pretty powerful Argentinian Escabeche sauce.

There were a lot of flavors on the same plate here. The acidity from the cucumber, heat from the ginger and the Escabeche sauce which was both spicy and herby at the same time. Quite honestly, I wasn't sure if I wanted such a complicated dish as my starter. Complicated as in the mix of flavors which didn't really harmonize each other. Just not my cup of tea.

Japanese scallop – I can really see the appeal here, with the jumbo-sized Hokkaido scallops topped elegantly by a pile of sea urchin tongues from the same province.

The creamy risotto served in the flavorful lobster bisque sauce was really tasty (but could've been a little less buttery). It was a very nice match with the charcoal grilled scallops and sea urchin.

Japanese strawberry – Dessert was another disappointment for me. Fresh strawberries from Japan paired with coconut cream and tofu ice-cream, not a bad combination on paper. But I thought the design of this dessert really left something to be desired.

I just thought the whole thing was very very dry. From the crispy rice cracker, to the chocolate chip and fresh strawberries hidden underneath it. The coconut cream was pretty much non-existent and the gluey tofu ice-cream certainly couldn't help the cause. This dessert desperately needed a catalyst, something rich in flavor and fluid like a chocolate or strawberry ganache in the middle to tie everything together.   

Obviously, I haven't been here for a long time. Apart from the change in the amuse bouche, the usual mignardises of mini chocolate tart and freshly baked madeleine have also been replaced. Today, it was a piece of freshly baked butterfly cookie and a pretty BIG one too, I might add.

For the longest time, Petrus has been lauded as one of the best fine-dining restaurants in town because its service, food and ambience have always been consistently great. But not this afternoon. Two out of three courses didn't make the cut which was a rare disappointment for me since Chef Uwe took over.

Food Rating: 6.5/10

Price: $$$$
Address: 56/F, Island Shangri-La Hong Kong, Pacific Place, 88 Queensway, Admiralty, Hong Kong
Closest Metro Station: Admiralty
Tel: +852 2820-8590
Website: Link
Opening Hours: 12:00pm - 3:00pm, 6:30pm - 11:00pm daily

Mammy Pancake 媽咪雞蛋仔 Central Market (Hong Kong, CHINA) ★★★★☆

COVID-19 has drastically changed the food and beverage industry in recent years. Gone were some of our traditional street food stalls and on a personal level, I have also stopped eating street food, including my favorite eggettes.

Not surprisingly, Mammy Pancake (媽咪雞蛋仔) is one of the many street food vendors suffering from the pandemic. They used to be everywhere in the city and I did have a habit of getting my favorite chocolate chip eggette (媽咪朱古力雞蛋仔) from their outpost just outside the K11 Art Mall whenever I set foot in Tsim Sha Tsui. But that branch of the famed eggette specialist was long gone.

But fresh off in 2023, I'm slowly starting to have street food again. And of course, Mammy Pancake (媽咪雞蛋仔) at Central Market (中環街市) has been on my radar screen ever since. I think it's about time to get myself re-acquainted with this chocolate chip eggette again.

I don't recall them having this "handbag" shaped container before but it's pretty nice touch!

Food Rating: 6/10

Price: $$

Address: Shop 242B, 2/F, Central Market, 93 Queen's Road Central, Central, Hong Kong

Closest Metro Station: Hong Kong Station / Central

Opening Hours: 12:00pm - 9:00pm daily 

Ask For Alonzo Star Street (Hong Kong, CHINA) ★★★☆☆

With many of our big bosses away for Chinese New Year holidays, we had a run of two to three weeks without a big meeting in our agenda but that was slated to change in the upcoming weeks. Two meetings today and a job interview to chair tomorrow, that's going to be a lot of fun.

But I wasn't going to complain about it cuz at least I have myself sufficient time for a decent lunch this afternoon.



Today's lunch takes place at the recently opened Ask For Alonzo on Star Street, who just took over the space that I thought used to be Classified (I could be wrong) at the corner of Star Street and Sun Street. Personally, I am a huge fan of Ask For Alonzo's hearty breakfast as well as signature tiramisu. But pasta and pizza!? Let's find out.

Set lunch here starts from $148, which is not a bad deal at all.

Sweet corn soup – Not a sweet corn velouté as I first anticipated. This came with some sautéed mushrooms and fresh chives. Not a bad start. 

Spaghetti carbonara – I can't stress enough how hard it is to find an authentic spaghetti carbonara in Hong Kong these days.

I thought the spaghetti was perfectly cooked with great texture. The sauce was bursting with exciting flavors from the egg yolk and cheese, and the crispy pancetta provided some additional depth of flavor and texture. But there was one problem and a really big one here. The dish was super salty! In fact, the flavors were so strong that I had to keep drinking a ton of water throughout the afternoon to get that saltiness away.



After finishing up my pasta, I was struggling to decide whether to take on a slice of tiramisu. That was what I came here for in the first place, right? Well, but since I've been coughing so badly for the past week, I knew what to do next. So, I reluctantly said no to dessert and settled the bill.

Food Rating: 4.5/10

Price: $$$

Address: Shop B, G/F, 8 Star Street, Wanchai, Hong Kong

Closest Metro Station: Admiralty

Tel: +852 6500-8405

Website: www.askforalonzo.com

Opening Hours: 11:30am - 10:00pm (Mon - Fri), 10:00am - 10:00pm (Sat - Sun)

Tsukiau 戀 Prince Tower (Hong Kong, CHINA) ★★★☆☆

J.E.R.K. has been itching to meet up again after failing to come up with an agreed timeslot back in December. With Master c-foo back from Osaka, we finally got our full team back and the attention immediately shifted to our dining destination. Following some careful consideration (with the help of Openrice), we eventually agreed on a venue – Tsukiau (戀) at Prince Tower in Tsim Sha Tsui.

It was a pretty quiet Monday evening, just two tables were occupied apart from our party so the restaurant was fairly quiet from start to finish. People have been talking about an economy rebound following the return to normalcy, but looking at this, I wasn't so sure.

Assorted skewer platter (串燒六式拼盤) – A complimentary skewer platter was the first to arrive and this was a pretty nice way to kick things off, especially when Tsukiau is so highly touted for its Japanese skewers. 

The ox tongue was really my favorite one here. Really tender and just love the thick cut for the mouth feel. The bacon wrapped lychee wasn't bad too but its presentation wasn't the greatest.

Minced tuna belly and scallion roll (蔥拖羅魚腩卷) / Tuna roll (鐵火卷) – Less impressive were the hand rolls.

Wagyu beef cubes (一口和牛) – There were at least five to six other dishes that we ordered on this night but your truly was way too busy to photograph each and every one of them. I would just share this one here, which I thought was the best dish of the night (except for the skewers). The wagyu beef was really melt-in-the-mouth delicious, meshing reasonably well with gluey sweet soy sauce.

It is always fun to meet up with the gang and joke about the past. Food is never the focal point here, our 30 years of friendship is. And not too long from now, we could be talking about our retirement. 

Food Rating: 5/10

Price: $$$

Address: 6/F, Prince Tower, 12A Peking Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong

Closest Metro Station: Tsim Sha Tsui

Tel: +852 6195-3727

Opening Hours: 11:30am - 3:00pm, 5:45pm - 10:00pm daily

Relax For a While Restaurant 輕鬆一下 (Hong Kong, CHINA) ★★☆☆☆

Like A-Plus Kitchen (讚記廚房) which I visited earlier this year, Relax Restaurant (輕鬆一下) was another go-to cha chaan teng of mine whenever I needed a quick bite in the heart of Tsim Sha Tsui. Over the past decade or so, the cafe had become a stable for tourists thanks to its centralized location but had fallen in hard times without visiting tourists in the COVID-19 era. As a matter of fact, the business became so bad that they had to move into a much smaller premise next door. 

I was in the area to see my hair stylist so I decided to have breakfast here for old time's sake.

Breakfast set for $40, not cheap!

The pantyhose milk tea was a little weak. Not creamy, velvety and fragrant enough. Not a good start.

The instant noodles in rich tomato soup was also average at best. The broth in particularly was so disappointing. It wasn't rich in flavors at all (just look at the color). 

Butter toast, ham and scrambled egg were decent but nothing to write home about.

Perhaps, it's time to close the books on this once-popular cafe once and for all.

Food Rating: 3.5/10

Price: $$$

Address: G/F, No. 25 Kimberly Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong

Closest Metro Station: Tsim Sha Tsui

Tel: +852 3113-6388